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Bandwidth: An exceptional communications resource

There is a Fantastic resource available with wonderful tools that can help you communicate your message. Bandwidth was developed with support from the John A Hartford Foundation to help its grantees effectively communicate their findings and make the case to the opinion leaders and the public for Geriatrics. John Beilenson led the development of Bandwidth.

If you go to Bandwidth you will find a treasure trove of wonderful tools to help you best convey your message. For example, are you presenting a poster at a national meeting? If you go to the poster section, and you will find invaluable tips on how to make the most effective poster (Hint: LESS IS MORE!!!). Having seen posters at AGS that use these techniques, I can assure you the advice here will markedly increase the interest in your poster.

Are you going to talk to a reporter? Go here for some tips on how to get your message across. Bandwidth also has advice on how to give an effective "elevator speech," and how to give an effective power point presentation. If you need a picture for a talk or presentation, there is a section with links to images and advice on how to use images effectively.

And for all your bloggers, there are even tips on how to effectively comment on blogs and use those comments to drive traffic back to your own blog.

This is actually only a small fraction of what is available. For those of us in Geriatrics and Palliative Care, the success of our disciplines will hinge on more than our good works. It will also hinge on how well we deliver our message. Bandwidth is a great tool for helping us with this and is one of the most practical and useful sites I have seen in a long time.

Just want to add my endorsement for Bandwith. Hartford Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Scholar, we had to create and present a poster, a process which was guided by and then critiqued by the same people who have developed Bandwith. They know their stuff.

We at the Hartford Foundation are very glad if all of you in the geriatrics and palliative care community find Bandwidth useful.

About a year ago, we "took down the walls" of password permission for most of the site to make it easier for everyone to use when you really need it (i.e., late at night while working on that poster).

The one part that is still protected due to liscensing agreements is the photography collection. Finding good illustrative photographs of older adults in health care situations that tell the story we want is pretty hard.

We would love to be able to get more such photos. If you have skill with a camera, can get permission from your subjects, and are willing -- consider donating your photography to the cause!

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